How rich was Cardassian culture?

[FaxModem1]

In the DS9 series finale, Garak, after the desolation of his homework, makes this comment:

GARAK: Please Doctor. Spare me your insufferable Federation optimism. Of course it will survive, but not as the Cardassia I knew. We had a rich and ancient culture. Our literature, music, art were second to none. And now, so much of it is lost. So many of our best people, our most gifted minds.

Of course, there's a contrary opinion on the matter:

GHEMOR: You recognise that? It's the bone-carving you made for me when I was promoted to Legate.
KIRA: Your daughter was talented.
GHEMOR: Yes. She is. I always thought you should have been an artist. You have such a wonderful eye for detail. But you were determined to join the Order. You thought it was your duty to Cardassia. Personally, I think Cardassia could use a few more artists.

Garak is of course mourning for his people's devastation, while Ghemor is bitter over his daughter joining the Obsidian Order, but did they have art that was second to none, or were they a world in need of more artists?

What do you think?

[Crazedwraith]

The two positions are not mutually incompatible. Individual pieces can be second to none while the culture as a whole can need more art.

Garak though always seemed to buy into Cardassia's propaganda.

[Elheru Aran]

Garak was part of the government apparatus for some time before being essentially expelled, he didn't leave by choice (IIRC). So it makes sense he would have supported their propaganda-- it would have been a matter of pride.

Take the Nazis; they condemned 'degenerate' art to the point of destroying it wholesale, but they aspired to create art of their own in their architecture, music, propaganda design and whatnot, even to the point of trying to create a more 'German' genre of art that tended to consist mainly of muscular nude men and buxom pale women. But their tastes were... not awesome, tending towards the grandiose and heavy Art Decoish. I mean, if you're into that mid-century style, it's probably pretty decent, but...